Bison for tots.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Frith Films
Sponsor: N/A
Audio/Visual: Sd, C
Keywords: Animals: Buffalo

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: ERD. - - January 6, 2007
Subject: Poorly Made
This film was obviously made for youngsters. It starts out well, but then uses shock value to emphasize the dangers of the animal. Running out of material, this production show a rather lengthy segment about the American Indians' relationship to the buffalo. It never brings up how the buffalo were almost wiped out by humans.

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - October 23, 2003
Subject: You Never Know What They'll Do
This confusing film has some campy moments. It starts with scenes of Billie, a newborn buffalo calf. The narrator tries hard to get the kids in the audience to bond with Billie, his mother Polly, and his best friend April (I don’t know about you, but “April” just seems like the wrong name for a buffalo). Then it suddenly switches gears and tries to scare the kids by telling them how dangerous buffaloes are, showing a horse with a bloody injury from being gored by a buffalo, and sternly stating, “Buffalos are not tame and should not be kept as pets!” with the intent, I guess, of discouraging the kiddies from bringing into the house any stray buffalos that follow them home from school. Then it switches gears again, and we get to see an Indian explaining in sign language the role of the buffalo in Indian culture (you know, that generic, non-tribal Indian culture that sells so well in souvenir shops). Then it ends very abruptly. I won’t give away the name of the veterinarian who treats the horse that got gored, except to say that it probably gave the boys in the elementary school audiences this was aimed at a good snicker (adults like you and I, of course, are too mature for such lowbrow humor).
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - January 30, 2003
Subject: Uh Huh.
Billie, The Buffalo Baby is one of those films that make you ask what the makers were smoking when they made it. We watch Billie, cute little calf, and his first couple of steps to his mother, which is named Molly(?), we also meet April, Meanie, Big King and all the rest of the "clumsy animals"which "don't make good pets" and "have forgotten how fierce they are". A little while we're introduced to April the Horse (really, would I make this up?) who has this MASSIVE gash on it's rump, caused by a buffalo. I mean, do the kids and I need to see the effects of the Buffalo horn? Soon after, we are introduced to the 'Indian' who demonstrates why the buffalo is so important. Methinks that the indian footage is total filler when they couldnt think of anything else for Billie to do. Near the end (it just ENDS lol) the indian smokes a peace pipe.. Ahhhhh, so that answers my question! Reccomended!

Reviewer: feather - - October 14, 2002
Subject: Billie, the buffalo baby
Given what we know today, about buffalo nation history, and tribal customs, this film clearly shows our niaveness at this time. yes, the buffalo still exist despite our brutal, wanton, wastfull killing.
film is in excellent condition, and should be watched.

Shotlist

Many buffalo scenes
01:32:10
VO: "Buffalo are not tame, and do not make good pets. They cannot be trusted because you never know what they will do."
Scene of cowboy feeding buffalo by hand
01:33:07
MCU Cowboy looking at back of horse. Almost kneeling behind horse
01:37:02
MCU Indian in front of teepees. Medicine dance.




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